What a CM just told me!!

[greeny]

Samirella

As you can see, I don't work in the resorts, therefore, I don't know anything about that. I do know that we are on extended hours and very busy during the time period in question.

The Magic Kingdom is not running on extended hours between Thanksgiving and Christmas. During peak hours the MK closes at 10 or 11 pm every day of the week. While these will be the hours during Thanksgiving and Christmas week the park will close at 7 pm during the week when MVMCP is not happening. This alone implies that management expects less crowds and is not peak time.

 

[MrShiny]

I can only speak from personal experience for 1999 and 2001, but it seems that since kids are still in school until very close to Christmas, crowds do not really arrive until Christmas day itself. Christmas day is mobbed, but from the Monday after Thanksgiving until then, I think you can count on smaller than normal crowds. Probably not the absolute lowest time of year, but definitely slow.

 

[Lucky4me]

It's not bad the first week of December, but don't expect it to be like the end of January when the place is a ghost town.

Also, Magic Kingdom seems to always be packed. Just use fastpass and you'll be fine. The rest of the parks will be completely managable.

 

[Leota]

I've noticed it getting more & more popular to go at the beginning of Dec. over the years.
MVMCP sure isn't the intimate event it was when we went our first time in '95! I think that's become more crowded than a regular early Dec. day in the MK.....

Even with that, I wouldn't consider Thanksgiving to a week before Christmas the busiest time I've ever seen..... I think it's a lovely time to go.

 

[Samirella]

Originally posted by greeny
Samirella

As you can see, I don't work in the resorts, therefore, I don't know anything about that. I do know that we are on extended hours and very busy during the time period in question.

The Magic Kingdom is not running on extended hours between Thanksgiving and Christmas. During peak hours the MK closes at 10 or 11 pm every day of the week. While these will be the hours during Thanksgiving and Christmas week the park will close at 7 pm during the week when MVMCP is not happening. This alone implies that management expects less crowds and is not peak time.

I'll remember that when I'm working extended hours during the time in question.

 

[momxx5]

Well, early December is not the busiest and not the slowest time of year.

Alot of "savvy" travelers are learning that if the go to WDW in early Dec, they will get the benefit of all the Christmas decorations and festivities, while paying great resort rates. Although it will not be overly crowded, it will be busy. With the shorter hours it tends to make the parks a bit busier.

The slowest time of year is from January(after New Years) through February(once spring breaks start).

The PSB Breakfast is getting harder to get because the CRT fills up so fast that this is giving people a chance for breakfast with the princesses. Also many, many people are booking both breakfasts during their stay.

You will have a wonderful time. I wish we were going this Christmas

 

[greeny]

I'll remember that when I'm working extended hours during the time in question.

LOL. You might be working cleaning up all the crap people left behind but there will be no tourists around. The MK was closed at 7:00 pm last year during the time in question (6:00 during MVMCP) and I expect similar hours this year.

 

[wanna-b-Tink]

Nov/Dec trips we've taken in the past few years:

Nov 28-Dec 6 2003

Dec 1-Dec 7 2002

Dec 8-Dec 14 2001

During all of these stays, we've experienced very low crowds. The only exceptions being when we decided to try to get in the MK Christmas Parade last year and MK was unreal, and of course that Thanksgiving weekend.

Otherwise, we've encountered many, MANY rides that don't even have Fastpass working because there are so few people there. We've also experienced riding (popular!) rides several times in a row without getting off because there was no one in line.

There is normally a water park closed during this time for refurbishment, but we don't go to those anyway.

And, it has been our experience that the parks do have shorters hours during this time period. However, because you're not standing in line, it isn't a problem.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Interesting reading the conflicting information! We'll be there for our first early December visit this year. I'm hoping that the parks won't be too busy because I'm meeting my 81yo mother for her first trip to WDW. It will be nice to see the decorations, but I'd hate for it to be too crowded.

T&B

 

[Simba's Mom]

I went in December this past year for the first time. I commented to the bus driver how WDW was not as quiet as I'd been led to believe. She told me that in the past couple of years, it has been alot busier (I think she'd been a long-time bus driver), partly because "the word's getting out that early December is THE time to come to see holiday decorations, etc." and partly because people are just coming back after postponing their trip after 9/11. I've been at all different times of year, and early December was not noticeably much quieter than other times (for quiet, I'd say it was early January). But the weather is so perfect, as far as I'm concerned (a little cool for swimming, but I don't swim) so I'd love to go at that time of year again.

 

[cruisin'Mike]

Originally posted by Tigger&Belle
Interesting reading the conflicting information! We'll be there for our first early December visit this year. I'm hoping that the parks won't be too busy because I'm meeting my 81yo mother for her first trip to WDW. It will be nice to see the decorations, but I'd hate for it to be too crowded.

T&B

How fun for your Mom's first trip!!!

We'll be taking my Mom for her 60th B-day. I have done early Dec a few times over the last 8 years. It seems to be getting more popular because people are learning about all there is to see and do at the holiday times. I still think that as long as you're not hitting Thanksgiving weekend or Christmas wee, you should do fine with the crowds. Last year the only day we found unmanagable was the first Sat in Dec when they were filming the Christmas parade for TV. We just left MK (besides, I was "sick" and didn't want to chance being filmed ).

Have a blast!!! Maybe we'll see you there!

Mike

 

[llggood]

Okay Samirell caste member let me clarify you are working extended hours DECEMBER 8 THROUGH THE 13TH? Why is it considered value season. We went this time in 1995 and it was GREAT. Even if it has increased a little I think it will still be a good time and obviously most people agree. Thanks for your opinions. My unofficial guide says the first two weeks in December are slowest. I wonder why being open until 7:00 PM is considered extended hours? How early do they normally close ha ha!

 

[beattyfamily]

Just want to chime in with my experience and opinion...

I've gone to WDW the first week of December (week AFTER Thanksgiving) in 2000, 2001 and 2003 (and hopefully 2005!) and it was very low crowds and shorter hours. MK always closes 6:00p on MVMCP nights and 7:00p on non-MK nights and to me that is NOT peak season hours!!!! On my trip this past August MK closed at 8:30p - 9:30p most nights and then 10:30p - 11:00p on Saturdays. To me you could argue that those might be peak season hours compared to the first couple of week in December.

The week AFTER Thanksgiving thru the week BEFORE Xmas are NOT peak season, they are VALUE season. The hours are shorter than Summer, School vacations, Thanksgiving week, Christmas week, Easter, July 4 week etc...

I have a feeling some are getting the first couple of weeks of December's crowds and hours confused with Xmas Week thru New Year's. They are quite different!

Also, it is true that the first 2 weeks of December are very popular with DVCers and that's because it is value season so it's cheaper and it's also a festive time to go, but it still doesn't affect the overall crowds the at WDW for the BEGINNING of December.

If you look at any website that has historical Disney hours for the first part of December, it becomes quite clear that Disney does not consider it peak season but off season and here's just one year's example:

December 2003
Magic Kingdom
December 1 -- 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
December 2 -- 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
December 3 -- 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
December 4,5 -- 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
December 6 -- 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. (Sat)
December 7 -- 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
December 8 -- 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
December 9 -- 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
December 10 -- 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
December 11, 12 -- 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
December 13 -- 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. (Sat)
December 14 -- 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
December 15 -- 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
December 16 -- 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
December 17 -- 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
December 18,19 -- 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
December 20,21 -- 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. (Sat)
December 22 -- 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
December 23,24 -- 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
December 25-31 -- 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

As you can see most days in December, MK closed at 6:00p or 7:00p unless it was Saturday night. That's PEAK hours??? I don't think so. Then the bolded hours are Christmas week thru New Year's; quite different hours, don't ya think? IMHO.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Mike, my sister is older than your mom... We're a strange family, though, with big age spans. On this trip beside my mom, I'll be there with my 4yo son and my sister, who is in her early 60's. The trip is more geared to my mom, though, and I hope to go a couple days early so I can bring my son on some of the preschool rides so I don't have to subject my mom and sister to all that.

T&B

 

[FatCow]

Originally posted by cruisin'Mike
[B Last year the only day we found unmanagable was the first Sat in Dec when they were filming the Christmas parade for TV.
[/B]

Which area of the park that's 'unmanageable'? Just the Main Street area or the entire park?

I have one all-day Fast Pass and I'm trying to decide which day I should use it for. (December 4th, December 7th or December 11th)

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by Samirella
I'll remember that when I'm working extended hours during the time in question.

Do you work during MVMCP? Because that's about the only time with the exception of Saturday that MK is open late from after Thanksgiving weekend to about 12/19. It's a separate ticket event, so I would not consider MVMCP as extended hours.

 

[cobbler]

Last year was our first early December time and it was great. I think our longest wait was 15, maybe 20 minutes for what I can't remember now, probably small world or something in Fantasyland.

I have been over Xmas in 98 and that was a mad house. I don't remember if they had introduced Fast Pass yet or what but I do remember AK was still fairly new and we waited 2 hours for the Safari.

We are going early December again this year for the last time for a few years, going to try some other times of the year and try some new things like MNSSHP and the Food & Wine Festival but I have a feeling that we will be going back to the early December trip times

 

[Samirella]

Originally posted by greeny
I'll remember that when I'm working extended hours during the time in question.

LOL. You might be working cleaning up all the crap people left behind but there will be no tourists around. The MK was closed at 7:00 pm last year during the time in question (6:00 during MVMCP) and I expect similar hours this year.

As you can see I'm not in custodial.

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by DebbieB
Do you work during MVMCP? Because that's about the only time with the exception of Saturday that MK is open late from after Thanksgiving weekend to about 12/19. It's a separate ticket event, so I would not consider MVMCP as extended hours.

i was thinking the same thing,,,the day time might be slow but the nights with the party are no doubt very busy so tha could be the difference and cms would be working longer hrs due to that.

is the Xmas parade always filmed the first sat in Dec??if so definitly not going to mk on that day( trying to decide if i chould change that day's itinerary or not.)

kind of wondering in general if we should change things till the beginning of Jan...anyone know when the xmas-jan crowds leave? my aps/ expire the 9th( guessing they expire on mid night of that day) so would have to get there the 3rd to get a weeks worth.

 

[lindamg]

While I very much appreciate the various CMs input on these boards, it might pay to remember how many times we've all gotten conflicting info from CMs themselves. I think the person who politely reminded us on this post that working MVMCP should not be considered working extended hours, when considering these hours in crowd determination may have hit the nail on the head. (Yes, I realize a CM may be working extended hours for an event, but if you are basing park attendance on extended hours, you can't count those hours!)

As a veteran December goer here's my input:

1. Crowds around Thanksgiving and Christmas and crowds during the beginning of December cannot be compared. Two different animals.
2. Early Decembers ARE getting more "crowded" over the years, but are still nothing like many other times of the year.
3. Weekends do appear to be more "crowded" as locals (and I consider those of us only an hour or two away as locals in this discussion) do tend to come in for a weekend to do all the holiday activities.

And most intriguing - Disney is already scheduling CM's hours for December??? I'm impressed. I didn't think they were quite that ahead of the game.